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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. squash — to crush
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. squash — the sport
  5. clip — a video
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pit — in a race
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. clip — for paper
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mark — a grade
  22. clip — to cut
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com